One of the 5 tigers on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Felidae
Tiger
Panthera tigris
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
It is the largest cat in the world alongside the lion. Unlike the lion, it is solitary and territorial, hunting large hoofed animals such as chital and sambar.
Weight
100 kg – 320 kg
Size
1.4 m – 2.2 m
Lifespan
15 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- There are eight historic subspecies, three of which are already extinct.
- The Siberian subspecies is the largest of all the tigers.
- Every tiger has a unique stripe pattern, like a fingerprint.
- anatomíaIts skin carries the same stripe pattern as its fur, so the markings would still identify the animal even if it were shaved.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Tropical forest, mangrove, savannah and taiga, depending on the subspecies, across Asia
- Birth weight
- 780-1,600 grams (the young blind and wholly dependent)
- Size at birth
- Blind at birth; the eyes open at 6-14 days
- Sexual maturity
- Female: 3-4 years | Male: 4-5 years
- Gestation / incubation
- ~103 days (a range of 93-114 days)
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 to 7 pups per litter (typical 2-4)
- Lifespan in captivity
- Documented record of 26.3 years in a zoo
Sources consulted: A-Z Animals; Animal Diversity Web; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); WWF; Smithsonian National Zoo; ScienceInsights
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Tiger — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Asian Golden Cat
Catopuma temminckii
VulnerableLeopard
Panthera pardus
VulnerableClouded Leopard
Neofelis nebulosa
Sumatran Tiger
Panthera tigris sumatrae
Fishing Cat
Prionailurus viverrinus
Marbled Cat
Pardofelis marmorata
How to help
The tiger is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 7 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about tiger.
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